I think we’re all guilty of letting some things slide in the summertime. Kids are out of school and we all just want to have fun, right? And unfortunately, that usually means spending more money. But now the kids are heading back to school and summer is dwindling down. It’s time to put our routines back in place. Here are some tips to recover from summer spending and get back on track this fall. 

 

HOW TO RECOVER FROM SUMMER SPENDING AND GET BACK ON TRACK THIS FALL

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UPDATE YOUR ROUTINE  

It’s a good idea to set aside some time every season or at least every year to reflect on your family’s routine. Decide what is still working well and identify areas that need to be updated. As your family grows your routine will need to be adjusted.

Think about routines for:

• Mornings / before school
• After school / after work
• Evenings / dinner time
• Bedtime

It’s also a smart idea to decide how (or if) you’ll loosen your routine on the weekends.

Ask your family for feedback. Then, design a draft of your updated routine. Try it out for a few weeks and tweak it as needed.

Routine can be the make-it or break-it factor for the whole school year. So, if you’re only going to apply one tip from this post, a strong routine should be it!

MEAL PLAN

Making a meal plan is an easy way to simplify your shopping, save money, reduce waste, and make your whole week run more smoothly.

Having a meal plan allows you to go to the grocery store knowing exactly what you need. It’s a huge time saver in the store. Not to mention how much time you save when you don’t have to stop at the store several times a week to grab one or two ingredients that you need for dinner.

If you’ve struggled with meal planning in the past, check out my meal plan alternative. It’s the flexible meal planning solution for those of us that don’t love sticking to a rigid plan.

You can grab your meal plan alternative guide here.

And here are 8 meal planning hacks to save you time and money.

GET ORGANIZED

General organization is usually a big thing that slips during the summertime. Tackle your home one room at a time and organize all the clutter that has built up.

Organize your time with a schedule. You can use a calendar or a planner. If you’d like a simple weekly planner printable you can grab one in my freebie library here.

Take some time to organize all of your important documents. I like to use these accordion files to organize documents simply.

And of course, don’t forget to organize your finances.

Figure out exactly how much you spent over the summer. It might be a little shocking, but how can you recover from your summertime spending if you don’t know how much you spent?

This post will guide you in organizing your finances overall. Taking the time to do this will set you up for success throughout the upcoming year.

SET GOALS

The beginning of a new school year is a natural time to set new goals.

Being deliberate in identifying the things you want to work for is the first step in actually achieving all of those things.

Take some time to set goals for yourself, your family, the upcoming school year – and your finances!

This post will walk you step-by-step through setting achievable financial goals.

TRY A SPENDING FREEZE

If you’re feeling concerned about how much you spent over the summer, I encourage you to try a spending freeze. It’s the quickest way to bulk up your savings.

The best thing about doing a spending freeze is that you get to set your own rules. You can do it for as short as a week or as long as a month – or more! You can decide not to spend money on anything at all or just cut out all extra spending. It’s all up to you.

This post will walk you through everything you need to know to rock your spending freeze and save money fast. 

And if you feel ambitious, here is a guide to doing a No Spend Month.

RECOVER FROM SUMMER SPENDING AND GET BACK ON TRACK THIS FALL

It’s time to get your family back on track for the upcoming year. Start by updating your routine, making a meal plan, and getting organized. Then, take it up a notch by setting some rock solid goals. And if you’re brave, replenish your bank account fast with a spending freeze. These simple steps will make a huge difference in the success of your school year so it is absolutely worth the work.

 

Here are some related posts about saving money:

• 3 Tips to cut your Electric Bill in Half
• 10 Frugal Living Tips for Beginners
• 7 Frugal Habits that will save you Thousands
• How to Get Paid for Shopping Online